Governor for dynamo-electric machines



(No Model.)

J. W. LANGLEY. Governor for Dynamo Electric Machines.

No. 240,734. Patented April 26,1881.

NYI 1 4 ITHOGRAPHEH. WASHINGTON. D c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GOVERNOR FOR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Application filed August 17, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. LANGLEY, of Ann Arbor, in the county of Washtenaw and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electrical Governors for Dynamo or Magneto Electric Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic regulators for electrical-light circuits, which are arranged at the central supply-station and used in connection with a generator of electricity.

Heretofore a motor has been arranged in a local circuit for regulating the number of coils employed, and one of the objects of my invention is to dispense with the motor and local circuit.

To this end my invention consists in a novel construction and arrangement of devices by means of which the variations of resistance in the external circuit of a magneto-electric machine are caused to regulate the number of inducing-coils broughtinto action in said ma chine, as hereinafter fully described.

In the drawing, N is the armature of a d ynamo or magneto electric machine, and M represents six of the inducing-coils on the fieldmagnets of the machine, (numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.)

B is a suitable base for supporting iny invention.

K K are metallic contact-plates, supported on the base B in such a manner that they are insulated from the base and from each other. There is one of these contact-plates for each inducing-coil on the field-magnets of the machine. The ends of the in ducing-coils are connected with the metallic contact-plates, as shown in the drawing, each coil being connected with two adjacent plates, except the lefthand coil, which is connected at one end with the left-hand contact-plate and at the other end with the armature, thus forming an uninterrupted circuit through the coils.

A is a sliding shunt or switch, consisting of a metal plate whose thickness is a little greater than the space between any two of the con.- tact-plates K K, so that as the shunt A is moved along the contact-plates it will always touch at least one of the plates K K. The shunt A slides in contact with the plates K K, and has a binding-screw, to which is perma- Patent No. 240,734, dated April 26, 1881.

(No model.)

nently attached the flexible wire a, forming one end of the main external circuit. The shunt A is rigidly fastened to one end of the rod I, but is insulated therefrom. The rod P, which may be made of any suitable insulating material, slides in the bearing G, and at its other end is fastened to the iron core or cylinder J, but is insulated therefrom. To the other end of the core or cylinder J, but insulated therefrom, is fastened a rod, I, similar to rod I which is supported by and slides in the bearing T. Upon this rod I is a spiral spring, S, abutting against the bearing T, and capable of adjustment by a nut and thread on rod I, as shown in the drawing. The cylinder J and rod 1?, carrying the shunt A, are thus capable of a reciprocating motion, and the tendency of spring S is to keep the shunt A forced toward the right hand of the drawing.

G is a magnetizing-helix surrounding the iron core or cylinder J, and commonly called a sucking-coil. One end of the helix 0 is connected with the wire a: of the external circuit, and the other end with the armature N.

The right-hand contact-plate K is connected bya wire, y, with the external circuit, as shown in the drawing.

The operation of my invention is as follows: When the machine is at rest the spiral spring S will force rods I and P and cylinderJ to the right of the drawing, so thatthe shunt A will rest upon the right-hand contactpiece K. hen the electric machine is started the cur rent will be developed in full strength through the six inducing-coils shown, will pass through shunt A and wire 00, through the external circuit into the suclting-coil O, and back into the machine. The electric current will cause the sucking-coil C to attract the cylinder J, and will draw cylinder J into the coil 0 until the tension at which spring S is set equals the force exerted by the coil 0. The shuntA will be drawn toward the left hand of the drawing. As the electrical resistance of the shunt A is very small compared with the resistance of any of the inducing-coils M, itfollows that as shunt A is drawn toward the left of the drawing the main current from the machine will pass through the inducing-coils M, which are connected with the contact-plates K in contact with and at the left of shunt A, and into the external circuit through the wire on. The inducing-coils M, which are connected with the contact-plates K at the right of the shunt A, will thus be cut out of the main circuit, will have only a feeble current of electricity passing through them, and will induce only a feeble magnetism in the field-magnets, so that the strength of the current will depend upon the number of inducing-coils in contact with and at the left of the shunt A. The feeble current of electricity passing through the inducing coils M, which are thus cut off from the main circuit, may be carried into the main circuit through the wire y. Now, if the resistance of the external circuit be increased, the current will be weakened throughout the whole circuit, the helix 0 will exert less attraction over the core or cylinder J, and the spring S will push the shunt A to the right of the drawing until enough of the inducing-coils M are included in the main circuit to produce a current of the strength fixed upon. In the position of the shunt A shown in the drawing the inducingcoils numbered 1 and 2 are the only ones included in the main circuit, and furnish practically the whole current derived from the machine, the current derived from coils 3, 4: 5, and 6 being very feeble. This invention,

therefore, keeps the current furnished by the machine at nearly constant strength.

It is obvious that the spring S may be replaced by a weight or a different form of spring, and that in place of the sucking-coil C a common electro-magnet with a hinged armature may be used by connecting the rods I and l to the free end of the armature in the same manner in which said rods are connected to the core or cylinder J.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a magneto-electric generator, the combination of the ind nci n g-coils M, contact-plates K, shunt A, connected with the external circuit of the generator, and an electro-niagnet arranged in said external circuit and con nected mechanically with said shunt, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the inducing-coils M, contact-plates K, shunt A, rod I, core or cylinder J, helix (J, rod I, and spring S, all constrncted, arranged, and operating substantially as hereinbeiore described.

JOHN IV. LANGLEY.

Witnesses I'IENRY D. BENNETT, W. A. ToLoHAnn. 

